Improvement in combs



UNITED STATES PATENTv OFFICE.

ISRAEL. H. SOUTHWORTH, OF ESSEX, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT INl COMBS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 50.400, dated October 10, 1865.

To all whom it may concern: y

Be ,it known that I, ISRAEL H. SoUrHWoR'rH, of Essex, in the county of Middlesex and State of Connecticut, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fine-Tooth Combs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specication, in which- Figure 1 is a plan of my improved comb formed of pieces inserted within a grooved holder and cemented therein. Fig. 2 is a plan of my improved comb formed of pieces inserted within a grooved holder and riveted thereto. Fig. 3 is aplan of pieces of refuse combs matched together ready to be united to the grooved holder. Fig. 4 is a section on the line x of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a view of the grooved holder detached. Fig. 6 is a plan of two perfect halfcombs to be secured in place in the grooved l holder.

Fine-tooth combs, when made of any material excepting ivory, are objeetional for the following reasons; Those of rubber are offensive,

owing to the smell of sulphur used in the manufacture; those of metalrpull and cut the hair, and those of horn split or double up. In consequence of these objections combs of ivory are universally preferred to those made ot' any other material; but, owing to the high cost of ivory, combs of this material cannot be furnished at amoderate cost; and in order to economize stock in making tine-tooth ivory combs the material has been cut so thin that the combs are frequently bro-ken in using.

The object of my invention is to overcome the above-mentioned difficulties and to provide a durable fine-tooth comb', of ivory or other suitable material, at a very muchless price than the various descriptions of combs heretofore made; and my invention consists in securing within a grooved holder pieces of comb made of ivory, rubber, horn, or any other material adapted to the purpose, or securing' separate pieces cut from refuse combs where one side is whole or Where both sides are broken in the manufacture, and matching them together in suitable lengths, so as to form a durable comb of a neat finish, which can be sold at a considerably reduced cost.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand and use my: invention, I will proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried it out.

In the said drawings, the pieces aof the comb, consisting of halves or smaller portions of refuse or broken combs, are carefully cut into suitable lengths and matched togetherso nicely as to make the joint imperceptible, so as to form any size of comb required.

` A piece of bone, b, or other cheap material adapted to the purposeeis cut of the required length and provided with grooves o, (see Figs. 4 and 5,) and the perfect halves, or the matched pieces a, of the refuse combs, are tted therein and'held securely in place by cement or by rivets, (see Figs. l and 2,);-thereby substituting a cheap material for the central portion of the comb, which, when the comb is made of ivory, is a consideration of importance, (the price ot' bone being about five cents per pound, While that of ivory is nearly five dollars.)

By utilizingl the waste stock in the manufacture of combs, as above described, I am enabled to make them wider and the teeth deeper than is usual with combs in common use, and the central grooved piece or holder, being made of a cheap material, is made of suiicient thickness to prevent any liability of its being broken or of the teeth becoming loosened or detached therefrom.

This I regard as an improvement on the manufacture of combs described in the Letters Patent of the United States granted to me on the 23d day of August, 1864.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent as an improvement in the manufacture of ne-tooth combs, is-

The grooved holder b, into which are fitted the halves or pieces a, substantially as described. I. H. SO UTHWORTH.

Witnesses: e

Taos. It. RoAeH, W. J. CAMBRIDGE. 

